Monday

Enjoy the music of some of the best local Latino musicians and learn some of the dances you've always wanted to do! Kick off Carnaval with high energy salsa dancing and beats from Puerto Rico and Cuba. A legend of the D.C. salsa scene, Eileen Torres, brings along her dance ensemble and band to get you into the groove. Watch dance demonstrations and then show off your own moves on the dance floor.

The Embassy of Canada invites you and your guests to join us onJuly 1, 2008 from 11:30 am–2:30 pm

to celebrate Canada’s 141st birthday!

Meet Bravo TV’s Top Chef Reality Show FinalistSpike Mendelsohn

who has moved to DC to open his new restaurant Good Stuff Eatery.

Music and Entertainment!Performance by Lennie Gallant and special guest Michelle Campagne.Fun activities for the kids! Food and Drinks!Grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, sodas, beer, and poutine! Let’s Celebrate 400 Years!Celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.RSVP by June 30

(202) 347-7755Official WebsiteWEbook celebrates Independence Day with Free Cone Day at Gifford's Ice Cream. Avid writers and/or ice cream eaters can pop in before the fireworks and submit a short "WElib," and just a few nouns and adjectives will earn a free cone. Participants can also enter to win a free Amazon Kindle.WEbook held an Independence Day Flavor Contest and asked the WEbook community to create their own hilarious, delicious, delirious idea for a new ice cream flavor that captures the essence of what it means to be a writer. MORE:Bethesda-based WEbook.com is hoping to do for publishing what Linux did for software, what American Idol did for music, and what Wikipedia did for information. WEbook will lead the convergence between the Internet and publishing by creating a new category: Community-Sourced Books. WEbook was founded by Itai Kohavi and is backed by Greylock Partners Israel. The first WEbook, "Pandora," was published in April 2008.

Join Zengo Executive Chef Graham Bartlett and Mixologist Claudia Maia for the latest re-incarnation of their Feng Shui class coming up on Monday, June 30th. The class will be full of great 'energy' and tasty dishes that focus on mojitos and ceviches - perfect for summertime entertaining. Learn how to muddle your own mojitos and make your own ceviches with Zengo's distinctive Latin-Asian approach. Additional cocktails and appetizers will be provided. Groups welcome. Monday, June 30th from 7-9PM

"I know not how it was - but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit," wrote Edgar Allan Poe, describing the home of Roderick Usher.

Imagine the observations Mr. Poe might have penned about the homes encountered on this walk and their various owners. Some, like the fictional house of Usher, have disappeared into the fissures of history. Others stand as reminders of the often harrowing events that transpired within. President Andrew Jackson, navy hero Stephen Decatur, man of letters Henry Adams and his wife Clover - these are only a few of the famous Washingtonians whose homes have tales to tell.You'll end this walk at the house considered the most haunted home in the city: The Octagon. As you hear the stories associated with each room, no doubt you'll agree, to quote Mr. Poe, that "evil things, in robes of sorrow, assailed the monarch's high estate."The walk will be given rain or shine and is led by Carolyn, Emily, or Sonia.

Friday

Please come out to support Interstages on June 30th for an event that Sheldon Scott from Restaurant Marvin put together to benefit Interstages, on whose board I sit. Interstages provides arts and music education after school to 6th-8th grade women in Anacostia. Can you think of a better place to eat a leisurely Monday dinner (avoid weekend crowds, people), enjoy excellent food and drink, and help out a local charity?

The set-up this month is similar to last month's event, which raised over $2100 for Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care Inc. in one night. Sheldon waits tables and donates 100% of his tips to charity. Due to the overwhelming success of last month, Sheldon instituted a 25% match program. If he gets multiple 25% matches, he feels it more evenly spreads the burden of donation among his 'matchers' and ultimately makes the night more profitable! But he'll take whatever his 'matchers' and donators can give.

So this months' charity is none other than our own Interstages --

Interstages: Success is in the ExperienceInterstages is a nonprofit after school youth development program designed specifically for middle school girls in Southeast DC. Founded three years ago by two former D.C. Public School teachers, Interstages provides opportunities for early adolescent girls in low-income neighborhoods to discover talents, strengthen and develop skills, and heighten self-awareness, setting the stage for a successful transition into young adulthood. Three key elements make the Interstages model uniquely effective in engaging 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade girls: (1) exclusive focus on early adolescence; (2) academic personalization; and (3) connecting to history through music. Please call (202) 824-0740 to learn how you can get involved!

SO, please let me know if you want to join me for dinner next Monday night at 5:30p. If you cannot make it that time, feel free to come anytime between 5p and 10p but please make sure your reservations are for the 'Tip Out' so it benefits Interstages. And do reserve ASAP as the event overbooks very quickly!

Anyone who knows me knows that my "element" is anywhere that I can network and pass out business cards like candy... I just love meeting new people and find a contagious passion in the exchange of new ideas.

Please join us to celebrate our spectacularly transformed Dupont Circle shop and our new lease on life.The party will feature champagne and other bubbly beverages, great music - including a live appearance on Friday by local fave Brandon Butler (not only one of our favorite musicians, but also our contractor!), and special gifts with purchase.

Dupont Circle Shop

Thursday & Friday, June 26 & 27th

4pm - 8pm

We have 2 whole weeks of savings in store for you - earlier in the summer than ever! Beginning Saturday, June 28th, come in to both stores for amazing deals (up to 80% off!) on men's, women's and kids' hats, women's clothing & accessories, jewelry, children's clothing & accessories, home decor, and gifts galore.As always, shop early and often - we'll replenish our shelves throughout the sale. And be sure to check out the expanded selection of ridiculously marked-down treasures in our Georgetown Patio Sale.Of course, don't forget to shop our great clearance selection online!

When the Washington Bayhawks suit up against the Philadelphia Barrage this weekend, it won’t just be two Eastern Conference juggernauts going head to head; it will also be a battle between the Bayhawk’s Billy Glading and the Barrage’s Andy Corno to see who is top in lacrosse in the metro area. Glading and Corno have been battling for DC dominance since high school.

Glading attended Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. where he was a two time All-American and was named the Metro-Area Player of the Year his senior year. Corno attended nearby Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was named to the High School All-American team and a member of the All-Met team. Glading went to the University of Virginia, a mere two hours from DC, where he became a third team All-American, ACC Tournament MVP, and the team MVP his senior year.

Corno attended Georgetown University, in the heart of Washington, where he was a three time All-American, team captain, and became one of the top five NCAA leaders in face-off percentage and ground balls.

Today, the two metro-area natives are still following the same path. Glading is living in Bethesda, Maryland, and playing for the local fans with the Washington Bayhawks. Corno resides in Georgetown and is on the Bayhawks’ Eastern Conference rival, the Philadelphia Barrage. Both are involved in youth lacrosse in the area. Glading is working for The Next Level, an athletic training center in DC, and coaches The Next Level youth lacrosse teams, as well as being recently named co-director of the Washington Bayhawks camps, along with Kyle Dixon. Corno is the founder of Leaders Lacrosse, a local lacrosse organization that offers youth teams, camps and clinics, private lessons, and college consulting.

So who wins the battle for DC area lacrosse dominance? This one may be too close to call. Come to this Saturday’s game between the Bayhawks and Barrage to find out who wins it on the field. Face off is at 7:00pm at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, VA.

Spike Mendelsohn who has moved to DC to open his new restaurant Good Stuff Eatery.

Music and Entertainment!Performance by Lennie Gallant and special guest Michelle Campagne.Fun activities for the kids! Food and Drinks!Grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, sodas, beer, and poutine! Let’s Celebrate 400 Years!Celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.RSVP by June 30

Lettie Gooch Boutique is pairing up with freelance makeup artist KiKi L'Italien and manu jewelry for a trunk show and demo event on Saturday, June 28 from 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. The event will feature all things pop culture - shopping, drinks, treats & gossip! KiKi L'Italien, favorite among area production companies, photographers and bridal clients, will provide demos of her makeup services for bridal, portfolio and special events. Just in time for summer, manu will feature picnic jewelry: little ladybugs, colorful fruit and floral designs! As an added bonus, guests can have their picture taken by a professional photographer at the event! Experience the celebrity lifestyle at Lettie Gooch Boutique!

Now in its 5th year, Crafty Bastards(sm) Arts & Crafts Fair is an exhibition and sale of handmade alternative arts and crafts from independent artists presented by the Washington City Paper. The fair is all-day, outdoors, free to attend, and will offer goods for sale, food, entertainment, prizes, and more!

There are two shows in the DC metro area this year: Saturday, June 28th in Silver Spring, MD and Sunday, September 28th in Adams Morgan DC.

The RAMMYS” is one of the areas’ most anticipated and glamorous evenings where we celebrate and recognize the many extraordinary professionals that comprise the restaurant and associate membership of RAMW. Join us as RAMW brings together esteemed hospitality leaders for a special evening devoted to honoring excellence in our restaurant and food service community.

Bid on fabulous items graciously donated by local businesses who support the mission.

INSPIRED GIVING, INSPIRED STYLE is the mission of the event as the goal is to raise money to improve the lives of women and girls in the DC area while celebrating original style. The Washington Area Women's Foundation is the beneficiary and touches the lives of over 30,000 women and girls in the metropolitan area.

This is the event all of Washington will be buzzing about - The Queen Bee's Fabulous Summer Trunk Show and Sale!!! All jewelry and accessories will be offered at wholesale prices up to 50% off web and retail - earrings start at $22, bracelets from $30, necklaces from $40 and rings from $18. Further discounts and/or gifts will be given with every purchase. New accessories including handbags, leather goods, and gorgeous shawls will also make their debut at our SummerTrunk Show.We hold these shows in our home/studio 3 or 4 times a year. This is where we offer our deepest discounts and where we have the most fun! Our famous CLEARANCE ROOM with samples that have never been seen before will be open. Trust us - you won't want to miss this sale! Feel free come with friends or forward around the details of the show - we have more than enough jewelry to go around. Champagne and hors doeurves be will served. Six rooms on two levels filled with Queen Bee goodies - what more could a girl want?

Grab a drink and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and dancing in the Ballet's studios, while gaining exclusive access to all the best items before the Studio Sale opens to the public. Don't miss out on this night of fun and fantastic finds and the opportunity to feel good about raising funds to support The Washington Ballet's signature education program, DanceDC.

Jete Jettison Studio Sale: Come support The Washington Ballet and The Washington School of Ballet at the Studio Sale. Clothes, Accessories, Furniture, Home Goods, Art etc ... will be on sale! Don't miss out on the opportunity to find some great deals!Come volunteer or shop at the sale and give some gently-used items a "Second Act!

"Date: June 28, 2008

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.More Information on Volunteering at the Studio Sale or For Information on Donating your Items to the Sale, Please Email:Slange@washingtonballet.org.

Hello Friends and Family,As many of you already know, our beloved sister, Priscila Velasquez, was involved in a car accident on May 23rd. She is in stable condition at this time but is still in a coma. She is making progress every day, and while this is very promising, she still has a long way to go. Her road to recovery will be a long and arduous one. Because the costs associated with her injury are astronomical, Priscilla’s family and friends are holding a fundraiser on her behalf on June 27th at Rhodeside Grill. While she has health insurance, there are many other costs and bills to pay. Any donation in the form of gift certificates from your establishment would be greatly appreciated. We will raffle off these gift certificates during the course of the fundraiser in the hopes of raising money to ease the financial burden of her recovery.We greatly appreciate your donations and contributions. Please join us at Rhodeside Grill to help support Pricilla and her family during these arduous times; we look forward to seeing you there. Thank you for all your prayers and support,

Tuesday night I was quite honored to attend an intimate dinner through YPFP at the Embassy of Morocco hosted by the divine leader, Ambassador AzizMekouar. The enlightening evening filled with phenomenal cuisine and delightful discussion, hit a turning point as the Ambassador indulged me with facts that made understand why Americans are perceived to be so deft.

Perhaps one could blame the media, but I always considered the Middle East to be one of the most violent places in the world. I was fascinated to learn that Pakistan actually has the least amount of homicides per year per 100,000 residents. Obviously there can be false reporting, but I opine that I would not be alone in my assumptions that were so readily cut down by the information below or found here:

Note that Pakistan has the lowest murder rate listed. Raises an eye brow or two...

Tuesday

Gary is host of Wine Library TV, a free daily video blog in which Gary tastes and reviews wines. He has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Ellen Degeneres Show, and he has garnered widespread media recognition including features by the LA Times and Washington Post.Gary V will be traveling around the country in the coming weeks to promote his first book, Gary Vaynerchuk's 101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World.

We invite all & everyone out to our GRAND OPENING FIESTA this coming Thursday, June 26, at our Bethesda location (7111 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814) from 6pm to 11pm. We will be spinning over 300 gallons and giving it all away until there is no more. So, come with your friends, family, enemies and strangers and join us in our newly opened store in Bethesda. We hope to see you there so together we can create mass gelato pandemonium.

Join us Thursday, June 26th at Hawk 'n' Dove for our monthly Happy Hour. Drink specials include $2.20 domestic bottles and rail drinks. Food specials are 1/w price mushrooms, zucchini sticks, chicken fingers, and Michigan fries.Cover will be $7 for non-members, $5 for members and free for those who become a Friends of St. Jude DC member that evening.

All attendees will receive a drink ticket upon entry so your first drink is on us! If you have any questions about this event or Friends of St. Jude DC, please contact us at dc@friendsofstjude.org.

Join News Channel 8’s Beverly Kirk and prominent Washington area business leaders as they gather to raise awareness for and support of victims of local child trafficking, in the DC/MD and VA area. Local designers will showcase their latest collections with the help of local celebrity models, who represent top-tier companies in the area. This an occasion you won’t want to miss and will benefit Charity Network Inc. (CNI).

It has been a thrilling ride for the EURO Championship this year, and a record setting one at that. 3 out of 4 group winners were eliminated in the quarterfinals, and underdogs Turkey and Russia have risen to the occasion, and demonstrated that they can compete with the normal European heavyweights.Germany faces Turkey on Wednesday June 25th @ 2:45 pm, and Spain goes up against Russia on Thursday June the 26th @ 2:45 pm as well.

The Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th Streets, near the Smithsonian museums. There is no admission charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use Metrorail. The Smithsonian station (Mall exit) is at the Festival site. Federal Triangle and National Archives stations are close by.

June 25-June 29 and July 2-6, 2008

Open daily 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Evening events 6 p.m.

Here's the line-up of the exhibits featured at the 2008 festival:

BHUTAN: LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON

Celebrating Bhutan's special approach towards life in the 21st century

NASA: FIFTY YEARS AND BEYOND

Showcasing the role that the men and women of NASA have played in broadening the horizons of American science and culture

TEXAS: A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, FOOD, AND WINEExploring a dynamic and creative society, built upon rich natural resources, thriving cosmopolitan cities and engaging rural landscapes

Thursday

The French tradition has been to celebrate the summer solstice by gathering in the streets to listen to amateur and professional performers. In order to offer a similar musical experience, La Maison Française will open its doors to more than 30 local bands, who will create a lively musical patchwork. Throughout the event, wander around the Embassy gardens and enjoy a most eclectic program!

Summer is here and a long tradition in DC summer fun are the jazz concerts in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, sowe invite you all to come enjoy some great music by Origem, a Brazilian jazz group, as well as the company of fellow friends and colleagues. Please feel free to bring your picnic gear, including a blanket if you have one, and we'll do our best to find a large enough of a space for all of us, based on the number of people who RSVP.WHAT: Jazz in the Garden Happy HourWHEN: Friday, June 20TIME: 5:30-8:30pmWHERE: Sculpture Garden @ The National Gallery7th & Constitution Ave NWwww.jazzinthegarden.comWHAT TO BRING: Cheese, munchies, blanketsWHAT WILL BE PROVIDED: Limited cash bar including sangria, wine, & beer

Arrrrgh, Matey! If it's a pirate life fer ye, then set yer course for Pirate Fest '08! Get your fill of cutthroats, scallywags, sea-farin' scoundrels and thieves. Music, food vendors, costume contest, treasure hunt and more for pirates and land lubbers alike! Rain or shine.

DC By Foot tour company, offers FREE, completely tip based, walking tours of the National Mall has designated WHS to benefit from the tip proceeds for their 6:00 p.m. Sunday night tours in the month of June. For approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, guests are treated to walking tours around the monuments from guides who can best be described as "part professors, part performers." Tours depart on Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. from the Northeast corner of 15th Street, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW. Please take a stroll around the National Mall in support of WHS. For more information please visit, www.dcbyfoot.com

The best in smoky barbecue from hot local area BBQ restaurants and around the country. In the mood for those Memphis or North Carolina style ribs but don't have time to travel there? We've got plenty of ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, juicy chicken and all the trimmings you could want in the heart of the Nation's Capital.

Meeting new like-minded people has never been easier, with the launch of the dog friendly "Frisky Business Happy Hour" - Washington DC's first social networking event dedicated to pet owners. Jointly hosted by Helix Lounge, WHS and AnimalAttraction.com, the happy hour will take place every Wednesday through September kicking off THIS Wednesday, June 18thth from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Helix Lounge's outdoor patio.Recognizing that pet owners are their own special breed, the happy hour aims to connect like-minded people through their four-legged friends. The "Frisky Business Happy Hour" is a new twist on Helix Lounge's popular summer doggie happy hour, during which Washingtonians and their pooches enjoy specialty cocktails and appetizers on the lounge's outdoor patio to benefit WHS. Now, patrons can mingle in person at Helix Lounge, but also stay connected with new friends online. AnimalAttraction.com will also donate $1 to WHS for every guest that signs up to be a member of their interactive web site.

Join dataTV's Adam Bell, Ludicus Corporation and Community MX's Chaz Chumley, Nylon's Simon Horwith and ZoobieSoft's Yancy Wharton for the prelude to the CF United Conference on Tuesday Evening, June 17th at 8PM ET at the Lafayette Room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Washington, DC for MiniMAX's eighth maxed-up event and our first directly in downtown DC. MiniMAX 8 is a free event but you need to register to be part of the show and you can do so here on our Facebook page MiniMAX 8 is a series of 15 minute tutorials provided by some of the best experts in the web, print, broadcast and interactive design and development community in the Greater Washington DC and Capitol Region area and across North America. Expect to see sessions on ColdFusion, Flash, After Effects, AIR, Flex, Photoshop, Dreamweaver as well as other Adobe related applications mixed in for good pleasure.Prizes from major book publishers like Peachpit, O'Reilly, Friends of Ed and Focal Press, Granola Gourmet and software companies like Cartweaver and area businesses will also be offered to all visitors. It's like a mini-conference all in one night!

The First Annual YPFP Date Auction & Concert on Friday, June 20th from 8:30 pm - 2:00 am at the historic City Tavern Club, located at 3206 M Street, NW.

The event features:- Live Auction of YPFP's Most Eligible Members and Guests - Concert by SICK FEED - Silent Auction of Lunches with Foreign Policy Leaders- Open Bar 8:30 - 9:30 - Drink Specials all night- 300 Drink GiveawaysBuy your tickets in advance to by-pass the line at the door:http://www.ypfp.org-a.googlepages.com/affairsofstate Admission $35 in advance$40 at the doorMust be 21 to attend